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The U.S. government formally notified Congress that it is taking the first steps to reopen its embassy in Venezuela and move towards diplomatic normalization with the South American country.
In a letter sent to ten congressional committees, the State Department explained that it will send a team of temporary staff to Caracas to carry out "select diplomatic functions" while assessing the full reopening of the mission.
“We are implementing a gradual approach to resume operations at the Embassy in Caracas,” reported AP.
The decision comes after the U.S. military operation that ousted Nicolás Maduro on January 3 and led to his capture, as part of the transition process that Washington is leading alongside interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
The document outlines that the diplomatic staff will live and work in a temporary facility while the former embassy complex, closed since March 2019, is being renovated.
The announcement represents the first formal communication from the Trump administration regarding its intention to restore diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which were severed nearly seven years ago.
According to AP, the notification arrives two days before Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to present the U.S. strategy in the oil-rich country.
The text also confirms that the Unit of Venezuelan Affairs, currently located at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, will be gradually moved to Caracas.
"The State Department is taking steps to prepare for the possible reopening of the embassy in Caracas. The notification to Congress is part of the process to allow those preparations to take place," a spokesperson for the Department told AP.
Since Maduro's capture, the Trump Administration has cautiously moved towards a political and diplomatic reconfiguration in Venezuela.
In recent statements, Delcy Rodríguez asserted that her government "has established respectful and cordial communication channels with the Trump Administration since January 3" and is working alongside the U.S. President and Secretary Rubio on a "common agenda for reconstruction."
A team from the State Department visited Caracas to assess the security conditions and functioning of the old diplomatic complex, while a career diplomat based in Bogotá was appointed as the chargé d'affaires ad interim.
The plan includes several phases: the arrival of temporary personnel, the setup of temporary facilities, and the eventual resumption of consular, political, and economic services.
The reopening of the embassy would mark a milestone in the hemispheric policy driven by Trump since his return to the White House, after years of sanctions and economic pressure against the Chavista regime.
This announcement comes after Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced the unblocking of Venezuelan assets in the United States as a result of discussions held with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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